prima facie case

American

noun

Law.

a case in which the evidence produced is sufficient to enable a decision or verdict to be made unless the evidence is rebutted.

Etymology

Origin of prima facie case

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, European football's governing body said there was enough evidence to adequately support a "prima facie" case against him in relation to the use of discriminatory language.

From BBC

Uefa's ethics and disciplinary inspector says there is a prima facie case against the Argentina international.

From BBC

"We worked together to make sure we had a watertight prima facie case in order to lawfully arrest Aimee Betro in a foreign country without her becoming aware and potentially fleeing again," he explained.

From BBC

District Judge Goldspring, chief magistrate of England and Wales, found there was a "prima facie case" - enough evidence to support a charge at first glance - against Chappell and that extradition would be "compatible" with his and Wright's human rights.

From BBC

Scott is the first example of a state appellate court holding that evidence of implicit racial bias in policing establishes a prima facie case of racial discrimination justifying the exclusion of evidence.

From Slate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023